Wesley1982 wrote:No, waaaaaay over here at Dharma Wheel I just like to browse and hang out. Should I be more selective and discernment with my general questions?ok.

Dude, as long as you are not breaking ToS then go for it! All I am saying is that when you ask questions and people go to the effort of answering them you should show a little gratitude and read the answer. That's all!

Ingrown wrote:What is the longest living lineage of Buddhism that mainstream academia acknowledges?

As far as I know, there is no lineage that is acknowledged by academia in general. In religious training institutions, one might find something approximating academic acknowledgement, simply because everyone wants their lineage to be the real thing, but it seems the better institutions are wise to this form of self deception.

What is the longest living lineage of Buddhism that mainstream academia acknowledges?

Thervadin tradition is the oldest living tradition but unfortunately it is only one of about 12/13 schools left that were originally of about the same age. Even then the Pali canon was written down a few hundred years after the Buddha died